John Mikel Obi has come to the defense of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen after the forward’s social media criticism of former head coach Finidi George.
Osimhen faced backlash for his outburst, where he expressed disappointment and a loss of respect for Finidi, accusing the coach of questioning his commitment to the national team.
Mikel, speaking on Obionepodcast, acknowledged Osimhen’s frustration, particularly following the Super Eagles’ poor performances against South Africa and Benin Republic.
He believes Osimhen’s reaction, though not ideal, was understandable given the circumstances.
“Every time I speak to him, he’s very humble, respects people. As I said, respect is reciprocal. I respect you, you respect me,” Mikel said.
Mikel further explained that Osimhen felt betrayed by the former coach.
“I think this situation with the Nigerian coach, where he blew out, he just felt it wasn’t fair because the manager didn’t protect him.”
Mikel Obi went on to say that Osimhen had tried to address the issue privately.
“He said he had a conversation with the manager, everything was recorded, and the manager just threw him under the bus. He was really pissed off, so he came out to defend himself. Maybe the way he did it wasn’t the best, but he had the right to speak out.”
“I have nothing against Victor [Osimhen] for that, and knowing your worth isn’t arrogance,” he added.
